The motivation of love

This is the part of moving I hate the most. You have moved your stuff, done the tip runs and now it's time to clean.

It has been my unfortunate experience that for 95% of my rental life (12 + years if you count uni) that I have not moved into a place as clean as I have left the last one. Or as clean as I go on to leave the current one.

It is living on kingdom principles that have driven this, leave life, light and blessing in your wake.

It has been sadly unveiled to me this week that my motivations haven't always been pure in doing this.

I have believed some how in the back of my mind that I have been partly driven on by the hope that one day I might reap that on earth.

Rather than loving for loves sake.

Our new house, our own house will be no different. Just as muscles start to relax and unwind from this job, they will be quickly recalled into action

I hope, one day I might reach the stage where I lose count of the ways that I love, and love freely without expectation of reward, in this life or the next.

Sent from my iPhone

Light

Just a couple of photos to share.

What's been going on in your life?

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Moving Day

Tonight, I sit surrounded by boxes and plastic bags.

Tomorrow is moving day.

The man and his van will arrive at 8am and whisk our belongings off to our new home.

Starting the tiling on the new en-suite.

It took Anthony 5 hours to pick these tiles.

And voila...

We just need to paint the roof when we move in.

The rest of the house looks like a bomb site, but I am sure over the next couple of days it will all pull together, and then all we need to do is clean and enjoy.

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The Apple Tree...

As you know I have been reading the book Igniting Faith in 40 days by Steve Backlund.

A lot of the book is about challenging mindsets that we develop over the course of our life. Thoughts that might make moving ahead in a particular area more difficult that it might otherwise been.

Backlund uses the illustration of the apple tree.

As a young sapling, an apple tree is still an apple tree. Regardless of the fact that it has not yet produced a single apple, we call it an apple tree.

There are so many times in my life that I am afraid to call myself something. I would never call myself patient, but the bible tells me that patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. I would struggle to say I possess goodness, yet as a Spirit filled Christian I am told that one of the characteristics of the Spirit is goodness.

If I am in-dwelt by the Spirit of God, then surely all the qualities that are incarnate in that Spirit are also in me?

So like the apple tree I can claim the names- those characteristics that I might not yet be in the physical, I already possess through the Holy Spirit.

Negativity Fast...

As part of the study I am doing over Lent, we are encouraged to go on a fast from our negativity.

This does not mean being an ostrich and putting my head in the sand, and ignoring the issues of life. Nor does it mean backing away from dealing with people/relationships in a respectful and authentic manner.

It does mean, actively pursuing a positive way of thinking.

Easy right?

I wish.

See what I mean?

I would find this activity slightly easier if I lived in a Jacksonesque bubble, somewhere away from reality and the world around me. But I don't. There is traffic, builders, joiners, plumbers, children, adults, banks, mobile phone companies a census to get my head around....

So what am I doing today to help me in my pursuit?

I am using a 5 letter word to aid me.

Yes, I am saying THANK a lot.

I give thanks for the ability to drive.

I give thanks for the luxury of having builders working on my house.

I give thanks for the freedom to have my children at home with me on a daily basis.

How do you stay on top of negative thoughts?

So you found me....

... and how nice it is to be found by you!

I have decided, somewhat rashly and not really thinking through the consequences of it, to give up Facebook and Twitter for Lent.

Now.... just so you know. I NEVER observe Lent, in fact truth be told I baulk at most religious holidays. I am swept into Christmas and Easter not through my own convictions.

But this year, I am reading a book by Steve Backlund and his wife Wendy, over the Lent period. Just because. To do something different, something untried in my life. To stretch a new muscle and see what happens.

The book is called Igniting Faith in 40 days.

While faith is something I do need to relight in my life. There are many more areas of my life that I have let die down over the past 3 years.

I am seeking passion, the fire of life. To be re-envisioned, to explore, what am I here for?

Is there something more to me, than Jesus lover, mum, wife, home educator? Or is it through playing those roles, that I am something more?

Who knows?

So here I am, and here you are....

Where to next?

Who knows?

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